The Tears of A Widow
by LydeaBlaze
Summary: Set in DDR, SOME SPOILERS. Katherine Robotnik watched on the happiest day of her life as it would all fall apart and Elias Acorn has been the "agony aunt", watching his best friend isolate her and her unborn child away from everyone, even her father, Ivo. Come funeral day, as they say goodbye, Eli only hopes to spare Kate from the truth of the war yet to begin with Zach's Killer.


The Tears of a Widow

_Now, I may have pretty much a while to go, nevertheless even picked up where I left off in A Game of the Throne, nevertheless am going to re-write it, but this takes place in the Dark Dove Returns story, the sequel. I am trying to do a few projects to do with Sonic, trying to say that I haven't completely abandoned the fandom, just have been busy with LOTG and VK for the last nine or so months. Anyway, enjoy and please leave reviews… Took seventeen pages, 9000+ words and countless edits so I hope that I would get a few reviews._

She has been fragile since the day that tore her life apart. It happened so fast and she could not make any of it out the day that her Zachery was taken away, right on their wedding day. Even worse so now that the funeral day has come. It has been a week and she has gotten barely any sleep, kept awake with the grief, kept awake with guilt of her own conscious. She says to herself that she wishes she could have done something to prevent it, she wishes that she would have done something the minute Sara and the empire showed up, she just wishes that she would have done something with her powers, an ice shield or something to stop the bullets that came, one that caused his fate. He shielded her to protect her and with one fatal bullet caused his death.

She has been staying at the palace in Cealia with the royal family, the Acorns more than welcome to have her stay. She's been feeling unable to return home to the Robotnik household, to a room that has too many memories of _him_… Photos on the walls and most of his stuff there and it holds so many memories. She is showing that she is pregnant, with his baby, five months along, half ways there to say the least. She has shut herself away, only willing to receiver nightly phone calls from family if she can bare it; her father constantly wanting to know how his baby girl, pregnant with his first -and maybe only at this rate- grandchild are doing and concerned friends.

Worried for her safety, she ended up having ladies-in-waiting tend to her now, by request of her father and aunt, concurred by Mary because of serious concern of her welfare over recent times due to her night terrors and bouts of illness, including a very serious case of morning sickness… And concurred by Elias, although he did say that because she demands independence she wouldn't take lightly of it… and she did, but it's for the best.

She tosses and turns in bed at just before dawn trying to sleep but the memories of that day, her wedding day turned bloodbath Ferian Empire attack playing repeatedly in her head. She wakes up, screaming with fear and cries of anguish, which marks the third time she has these night terrors. The first time was when she was in hospital, after the catastrophe at the wedding, Dr Mary concerned for her and the baby's health after that and the first set of initial post-traumatic stress related night terrors. Ladies in waiting on duty considering sending a call out to Mary to come to the palace, because the night remedy she had made her to help her sleep… didn't really work now did it?

She wakes up and starts crying again, she has been crying many times since that day, but somehow enduring the days that pass as she hears her father handle the funeral stuff. It's a state funeral and most will watch the coverage of if they care to do so, but the Robotnik family, the royal families of this and the Fera and Midora kingdoms, esteemed guests and dignitaries, as well as invited guests will be the real ones attending. Kate honestly for a fact does not know if Zach's parents are alive or what, as she had seen pictures of them when he was a kid up until he was about when he was of age 11. He never mentioned if they are dead or whatever had happened to them to never meet them and/or even had them turn up to what was their wedding, but… They will be here in spirit, probably counting on Goddess Cathryn the first's mysterious ways, since she does watch over her Secret Order Guardians closely.

Kate struggles herself up, tired as usual from lack of sleep and returning suppressed general fatigue from work, placing a baby blue dressing gown over her lavender nightgown. For some reason to try to cheer her up, as a gesture of kindness, Megan took Kate shopping for baby stuff, as up until now no one aside from Zachery knew and for a few other things such as an outfit for the funeral. Kate was grateful, but she is just still upset no matter what the circumstance. Her smile that usually would lighten any situation replaced with the frown that just gives an impression of lost hope.

"Could you get started on getting things ready?" Katherine asks the attendants

"Yes, Lady Robotnik." They both answer

Kate exits the room, while they look distracted, into the hallway of the third floor of the palace. It's very quiet as she walks around; the only noise heard are her bare feet walking the marble floor underneath them. Dawn's light cascades into the windows, they had said it would be a pleasant day today, even if it were the day of a funeral for a devoted husband (**only married technically for three hours before his death**), a father to be and great professor of science, medicine and technology. Climbing downstairs with much silence and nimble-as-she-can movement, not wanting to wake anyone as she makes her way to the first floor, she just wants to have the quiet time to herself to think, to try to think of what can she do next.

She comes to two doors leading out to the garden terrace outside, where guards stand on their post. She has lived here on and off since she was fourteen, when she first became Lady of Acorn. Everyone knowing obviously who this woman is and being in some sort of friendship with her, as she would often be of kind nature to ask others how they are doing and she is easy to make conversation with. -Ivo thinking she must have inherited her friendly nature, along with the now-gone brunette in her hair, which had faded out as it grew and permanently (and expensively) redyed for the wedding, back to her natural blonde colour, dark emerald green eyes and her petite figure of pure elegance from her mother.

"It seems a little early to be walking the grounds, milady." One of the guards says nodding his head with the other to signify her title, finding her presence at six in the morning very unnatural, well, enough to say that she is actually meandering around the palace grounds.

"I just felt like going to the garden this morning." Kate says, resting one of her hands on the baby bump

"Righto." The guard says

The glass-pained doors open to the open terrace balconies around the main garden of the palace. The initial design of the Cealia palace, assuming that they would never have to make it their new capitol city, was one where it would be a holiday palace to spend from summer to autumn, when it looks best. Its March now, the beginning of Autumn and the reception planned to be held outside in the backyard here… Sadly, that never came to be causing much disappointment aside from the sadness that of that Zachery died that day.

Kate would stand on her balcony (or sit on the outdoor setting as she would most mornings), since it faces the backyard, but... looking down is not exactly as stunning compared to from the first floor entrance terrace balconies.

The garden is the highlight of the palace indeed that Eli and Sally's mother Alicia has placed much effort over the years, often with her young grandchildren often helping, whenever they are not making a mess with something. On one occasion, it was Manik pissing off a beehive when she said not to or Sonia accidently pulling out the flowers instead of weeds or even Edward knocking over buckets of dirt for when the tulips went in. She has had a lot of time on her hands, since stepping down with her late husband eight years ago and often endeavoured to make the garden a nice place. Especially with the orchids and Ferian peach roses that she had put in which came as a present from John Calibre on their first Fera Day celebrations when Eli was an infant. –Kate thinking to the other reason why the Ferian religion is actually of use here with this lot when a small amount per capita are Ferian nationals.

Katherine goes outside and leans on the balcony looking out at the view, the sunlight of the dawn filling the courtyard. She is trying to be contempt with the chaos of the world as this is not going to be easy, none of it has been and the post-traumatic stress keeps haunting her dreams night by night and the unsure decisions she has been shouldering worrying her at the day. She is surprised that she does not feel so tired…

"Katherine… Kate…" She hears a voice, not paying it much mind, "Kate!"

She swiftly and sharply turns her head, snapping out of her stupor turning to face Elias, who is standing on the balcony with her. Now, she of all people know that he doesn't get up this early unless it's really urgent, as sleep can be lost a lot of the time and the sleep monkey often has this king whenever he -and usually she would too- work late.

"Oh… Hey." She distantly says, embarrassed that she spaced out again, "You're up so early?"

"Well, you know kids and how… boisterous they can be at an ungodly time of the morning." Elias quips, leaning next to her also looking over the courtyard, "Have any better luck with getting sleep?"

"…No." Katherine replies, bowing her head in sadness, "It's been a week and… I have just had not been able to sleep nor have I been able to think straight… Oh goddess, whatever shall I do!"

Katherine starts to sob, placing her head in her hands, sobbing like she has done now and again this past week and as much as she wants it to the pain just stays, her heart suffering each day that passes for the loss that she mourns. Her anger for the Ferian Empire becoming more and the blame she has on herself for not reacting quickly was one that she holds, even when her father blames himself for not having the droids at hand when he wanted. She doesn't blame him, only herself when everyone tells her that it wasn't hers, not anyone's as it was a tragic accident and a murder.

"It's okay, don't cry." Elias consoles, "Kate, I'm here for you. If you want to talk about anything, you should let me know and Goddess Cathryn be damned, I don't want to see you isolating yourself away, from your dad who has been ringing a lot and… From me when you're my best friend."

"It's so hard…" She cries, "It's just so hard to let go… I'm not sure about anything, nothing and…"

Words turn to sobs as she continues to cry and Elias consoles, as he had done on a few occasions in the years they have been close friends, well besides their business relationship. Sure, he may had been fooled like a gullible child lost trust with her the one time he was fooled into thinking that she was a traitor, but he always knew his best friend would do never such thing.

Her phone rings and she gets it out before putting it aside and yet again, it's her father trying to call her. From all the calls the house gets, and how distant Kate has been to just about everyone, by now he's getting more concerned every day for his daughter's welfare, even when he has something he wants to show her back at the household.

"Aren't you going to answer it?" Elias asks

"You know why I don't want to." Katherine replies, trying to ignore it, "I just don't want to talk to my dad right now… Shut up you damn phone!"

It then stops and comes up with the 19th message of a missed call she has had for the past week or so, maybe even more than that with how many times her phone can ring in one day.

"Look, I know this is going to be quite a day, but everyone will be there to support you, no matter what; your family, colleagues and friends… the whole kingdom…" He starts, helping Kate sit on a chair and kneeling beside her, handing her a tissue from his pocket, "Even the baby and… You know, try and talk to your father, your aunt, everyone today, that's the only thing that you should do and isolating yourself off isn't going to solve anything."

"I'll try…" She utters, teary eyed while patting her face with the tissue, before realising something "Wait, where in Goddess' name is Shadow? I hope I didn't just leave and cause something again."

"Well, he's smarter than you know to know where you are." He says, gesturing his head upward, "Good morning, Shadow."

On the balcony above them, Shadow peers down, his arms resting on the railing, a way they know by now that he is in a calmed, entertained and pacified mood while still on alert as always for watching Lady Robotnik. He had grown attached to Katherine due to her resemblance in body and persona to Maria, who would technically be her first cousin (once removed), and she maters much to him and he is immortal, and he would rather use this… uncanny trait to do some good. He has some patched up gunshot wounds from the attack, patched up parts of his guard's uniform that Rouge tended to fixing, even if he doesn't take too sympathetically to having to wear it whenever he is on formal duty.

"Humph. Took you long enough to notice me…" Shadow contentedly says slightly amused, "Obviously, you had to stop Kate from crying so I'll give you that."

Shadow lifts himself onto the railing and then jumps down as Elias gives him a cynical look.

"You know, you could have taken the stairs." Elias says, once again unappeased that he and another hedgehog often parkour around the palace, the senate, the council and the resistance base… Least to say of places thought Cealia.

"Please, the stairs won't help if Kate's in danger or worse now that she's with child." Shadow rebuts, and the king slightly shrugs, as he did just make a bit of a point there, "Maybe you should stick to your job and not question me about mine."

"Just saying when I've already got my brother in law always bouncing around like a rubber ball. The least a _Royal Guard to the Lady of Acorn_ can do is taking into consideration using the stairs and respecting the property." Elias bluntly says

Katherine comes between them, keeping them arm's length apart, "You two cut it out, I just don't… want to have to deal with you two bickering again… not today."

"Sorry, Kate…" Elias says

"Yeah… Sorry." Shadow says, sincere to the fact that he knows what it's like to lose someone special though his grief lasted technically for fifty years though in suspended animation. She helped him let it go, and now he should be doing the same for her, "Those ladies better be drawing you a bath because I'd report them to Chief of Staff if they're just totally slack. I'm sure I don't need Rouge to say the fact bathed in sweat, morning breath and a rat's nest of hair is a total faux pas as she says… no offence."

"None taken… Bet I look a mess?" Kate says, trying to see the positive side, something they know she can do, jokingly twirling around as if she is modelling

"Not like Eli right now…" Shadow says both taunting Eli, as they do not seem to get along exactly, and trying to make the woman he guards with his life feel better.

"Yeah, you shouldn't be worried of them being dobbed into Aleena…" Elias quickly retorts

"While you two can verbally duke it out all you want, I'm going upstairs." Katherine says

She rises from her seat, Shadow having to shut up then and follow her. Through this, she has just ended it, weather it was in good nature or they were halfway to a punch-up, she doesn't know, but she would prevent it at few costs. He opens the door for her, for usual standing. Other guard on these doors bowing as she passes. Eli just stands on the balcony watching through the windows as Kate makes her way up the stairs, the black hedgehog he calls his neutral friend following her.

"Well, I see someone is awake already." Alicia says, approaching her son as he leans on the railing. She is already dressed in her attire; a floor length black with grey detail grown. Accompanying a silver ornamental headpiece tiara with black stones, veil hanging to shoulder length, over her auburn hair worn half up and half down with a bun to have wavy locks hanging to shoulder length, finishing pieces are black wrist gloves, shoes, a necklace of pearls, a fabric draped around her held by her elbows and a clutch purse.

She gets her handkerchief and with her thumb and wiping a spot of dirt/dust/goddess knows whatever that is off his cheek, making him react like a little kid, in agitated twitches with complaint "You're always so… messy this time of morning. Dear Goddess I wish you were a girl sometimes, I can tell who you inherited this from and you're old enough to know better…"

"Mum!" Elias complains, as she then moves his hair around, "Cut it out… Full-grown adult and have been for ages, king and father of two, remember?"

"Even when you're eighty you'll still be my wittle Eli." His mother softly laughs, finished fussing around with him to be somewhat presentable, "There, an improvement."

"Yeah… Thanks… You're dressed already? The funeral starts at 11, mum and that's…" He asks before checking his watch, "…Four… five hours from now."

"Punctuality, elocution, presentation, character and confidence, is what matters most in royal life. Of course, I'm at least happy that you know most of those…" She says before moving a stray hair behind his ear, "But there I say you, even Sally, do really lack… But I am not a traditionalist mother to have put the effort into yours and Sally's upbringing to have these lessons taught by tutors and governesses…"

"Mum…" Elias interrupts, before she dares to continue on, "You did the best you could, okay. It was some pretty dark days back then, dark days for all of us."

Alicia nods, as she knows the war was a time that things were devastated, even their allies, Fera, Midora and Earth. Midora destroyed into the desolation it remains to this day, Fera's royal family dwindled through assassination in a bloody war and Earth had Denise Bridgen at large murdering many for the few years before the time before her death.

"How is Lady Robotnik?" She sincerely asks, wondering how she is fairing because of today

"Feeling very weak today…" He honesty replies saying only simple wording all he can comprehend and know about his dear friend from the fifteen minutes he spent with her

"What happened with Kate when she was out here…?" She asks, "Because you know whenever I see you and Shadow together in the same room you two don't mix at all and with that poor girl the least she would want to deal with is you two bickering like children."

"She cried, for fifteen minutes when she was sitting out here. Don't worry about what happened between Shadow and me. Just a civil argument again and for starters, we're not idiots, mum." He replies, his mother giving a cynical look before he continues, "Kate's in a deal of stress and lacking sleep, distant and just fearful and worried of what she'll do. I have never seen her so broken when she as always been so strong. If she heard anything about the alliance are on the brink of war with Sara Reliagh… Goddess knows how she would take it"

"Poor girl… She's still only a young one too with much of her life ahead…" Alicia softly mutters with much sympathy, "Be a good boy and make sure she is okay. I know that she won't answer her phone and saw that you tried to get her to talk to her father, but… Sometimes it's good to have some downtime."

"I will, mum." Elias replies, before a realisation, "and don't tell me you were spying again? You know how much I hate it when you do that so don't, please."

Alicia pats him on the cheek, as if she just ignores that, "You're a good boy for looking out for your friends."

She walks off as quickly as she came back through the doors and Eli just leans on the railing. He looks upstairs to Kate's balcony, before getting a text from Megan about something and he then goes inside, as it looks like she needs a hand, because from the sounds of the text, and the use of exclamation marks, it is another one of those mornings. Alexis would be climbing on the draws to get something that they put up so she wouldn't touch when her mother tells her not to and Edward isn't very cooperative, and doesn't exactly know how to dress himself when he insists on dressing himself. -Explains why they're holding off if they would have considered having another one for a few more years.

* * *

Washed and smelling like her flowery-scented conditioner, soap and perfume, Katherine sits in front of the dressing table of her room in her dressing gown and with her hair down and almost dry. As the ladies are getting stuff to do her hair and are setting out her clothes for her, she is watching the coverage of the funeral thus-far (nothing happening aside from guests who are arriving) on the morning news with every turn of her head on this talk show… and they're talking about Zach. She turns off the TV and feels quite unsettled… about either the funeral or it's morning sickness.

She gets dressed in a floor length, black and grey dress with a necklace sitting at the base of her neck is strings of pearls with a gem of black hanging off the bottom and dark studs in her ears and a pair of small-heeled shoes. Her hair is done half up and half down to support the veil and a silver tiara sits on her head in front of the bun making it unnoticeable and waves of blonde hair sit at below shoulder length. Makeup is done and with time to spare. She sighs and sits back in her chair when she gets a text from her dad…

_"Good morning, Katie. I don't know if you'll answer this one, but me and your aunt Soph are wondering if you've gotten any sleep last night. Your aunt, Hope and I will be meeting you there so I hope that we're going to meet up. How are you this morning, sweetheart? Please answer because again, you keep ignoring my calls and I only want to know if you're alright. I know you think I am ashamed of you because of what you did, but, I don't care about that, only about my little Katherine-Maria and now my grandchild. Please answer, Kate…"_

She just considers answering whether or not to do it because she just still doesn't want to talk to him, even though a text message. She then sighs and before long starts to type...

_"Dad… Feeling just the usual, but sorta feeling like I have morning sickness when I just don't… And, I got barely any sleep last night… I just haven't wanted to talk, okay… I'm fine and you know that I'm always well looked after and I have Shadow guarding me so... you know I'm safe. I just have to have some time away since… I have to think about things now that all the plans Zach and I had are now in the tubes and… I just want time alone to think about what my options are, dad."_

She doesn't feel compelled to write anymore, but another text comes…

_"Kate, when you were little and after your mother died the options weren't clear either, but at least you have supportive friends and family (something I didn't have following your mother's death) and the options mayn't be clear but… I'd say that your plan just need to be altered… You can buy a house and me and your aunt Soph would love to help in any way with the baby. I'm not ashamed of you, Katherine, and you cannot do worse than everything I did back in the empire days._

_I'll see you there, Katie. I have to go now… I love you."_

She turns off her phone and sets it down on the table, just had enough because it was getting to her and she doesn't want to ruin her makeup by crying again. She turns on the TV and she sees the car pull up and her father shows up to the funeral with her aunts, cousins and other members of extended family, she guesses that he just sent that last text before they arrived as there is no reply now.

_"And here we have the extended family of the Lady Katherine Robotnik the wife of Sir Zachery arriving here at the cathedral. Lady Robotnik clearly not with the group and has not arrived as of yet."_

She then turns it off again and places the remote beside her phone, two things she errantly discards there for now because she cannot bring herself to look at her accounts, messages, receive phone calls or bare to watch the coverage on the TV for more than just a few more moments. Trying not to cry to ruin her makeup, and yet she wonders who had turned it back on?

Shadow knocks and sticks his head in, "You might want to hurry up downstairs, we're going to run late soon and the matriarch might get impatient."

"I'm coming…" Katherine replies as she gets up from her chair in front of the dressing table and picking up her clutch, placing her phone, on do not disturb and turning it off, in it.

Shadow holds the door open for her as she exits, before closing it and catching up to her as she starts to walk, one hand resting on her stomach and another holding her clutch purse. They come to the stairs and Kate's hand transfers to the railing as she goes down them, since she is paranoid of falling over in these shoes, or just in general falling down. Down the stairs in the parlour are the attendees from the royal family.

"Kate, as much as you look lovely, we're sorry for your loss." Sally says, pretty much on hers and Sonic's behalves with that since they haven't exactly been around as of late since the wedding.

"Thank you." Katherine softly says, tapping her on the shoulder as she then turns to face the door, "We'll probably have to get going now."

"Exactly what I thought, dear. We should get going as the wife cannot be late to her husband's funeral…" Alicia says, getting up from her seat, "Alright Acorn clan, my son's second in command and the Ultimate Lifeform bodyguard, forward to the escort, no dawdling now."

No matter what, Alicia has now become the matriarch of the family, often trying to be the boss of the household's affairs. Often trying to dictate every little decision; even in the recent education debate that she had with her two children, about her grandchildren's schooling choices since they will be starting kindergarten in the near future. It was fair that she lost that one, since Sally and Elias, with their respectable spouses, are the epitome of the quote-unquote, "modern working parent" according to popular opinion.

* * *

Shadow opens the door for Kate and gets into the car at the front of the procession with Elias, Megan and Shadow sitting in the front with the driver. The procession takes off after a few minutes, the sirens of the motorbikes and cars with guards staffing them ahead and behind the pack, out the gates and down the drive to the main streets.

Kate watches the people who watch the cars pass by, she often thinks of the residents as monarchists, loyal to kingdom and country. Often a little exasperating when it comes to their followership, always knowing what the royals' and their inner circle are doing, especially since Chief of Staff, Sonic's mother and ex-Lady of Acorn herself, Lady Aleena, decided to put them on the social media platform, with a lot of followers in the first hours. Moreover, their personal Facebook and twitter pages are bombarded with friend requests on any given day… The current generation of the Acorn family are a generation brung up within normal, (well normal may be stretching it…) and are a little more down to earth with the way they manage their affairs, whenever the matriarch Alicia isn't trying to interfere, just a little.

It has been eight years and as she grew into the role as she grew up, and with redeeming honour to the family name no less and creating a new future for herself from which all she knew when her father was evil is that she would have to take over the empire someday. Up until she woke in the hospital earlier this week, with a few gashes and with the news that shocked her to her core and a confessional that she felt ashamed to tell her father… Until he was happy to hear that and she saw him smile, because he will be a grandfather and the bloodline continues on… as the baby's name will be Robotnik since Kate doesn't feel as though to name it the father's last name, hell, she reverted back to her last maiden name for personal reasons.

Most of this crying, aside from mourning… is because she is insecure and unsure of what her future brings now that she is a widow with a baby on the way. Unable to sleep as the day haunts her dreams, unable to go back to the family home as memories of him are there. Unable to look at the ripped and torn wedding dress that she wore for the moments her life changed. Unable to speak to her family, when she still feels as though she has disgraced the family name, although it really doesn't matter when they were empire for three generations. Constantly coddled by the palace staff and as a Robotnik the term "Maternity Leave" does not come across her however…

"Kate." Elias says as he nudges her, interrupting her troubled thoughts, "We're about to pull up."

Katherine closes her eyes, "Not a long car trip now was it?"

_"The royal procession turns into the drive for the cathedral and the first car pulls up as an anticipating crowd is around the place hoping to spread their message of support to the widowed Lady of Acorn and an asset to the leadership of an ally, in this time of great sadness."_

Shadow gets out of the car and is on high alert, not knowing what could be here on all days to make this worse and he opens the car door and Elias steps out first to the cheers of the kingdom, but he knows that they aren't exactly for him now are they? He helps his wife out of the car, which is the polite thing to do, and then Kate comes to get out, taking Eli's hand as he has only one thing to say.

"Now, I said the whole kingdom would be backing you and you doubt?" Elias comments, helping her out of the car as the cheers of support get louder as they first see her appear, "Is this doubt genetic with you Robotnik's' or what?"

_"And the Lady Katherine has appeared, with our beloved monarchs, King Elias and Queen Megan, and the kingdom's supportive nature is just shown right now as there are banners with the kindest of supportive messages and all over the official accounts, not just for today, but over the week, the support has been monumental."_

Kate heads off into the cathedral while Elias and Megan are waiting for their children to get out of the next car with their grandmother. The cheering getting quieter as she enters and everyone has arrived by this time, senators, foreign dignitaries, council members, the resistance members, the GUN commander… Finally, her family is down in the front, Ivo spotting her and immediately swooping her into a hug, as he has been very worried about her this past week and now he is seeing her again after this week a very… fragile woman.

"Katherine…" Her father whispers, kissing her forehead and taking her hands, "My baby, I have been so worried about you this past week I just couldn't find myself sleeping until I hear you're okay."

"Dad…" Kate says simply, tears welling in her eyes, "It hurts…"

"I know, I know…" Ivo consoles, patting her on the back gently, "You can cry in public, sweetheart… We all know pain when we see it… I know… Since I remember losing your mother all those years ago even now, when I'm half grey and wearing a toupee."

Sophia comes up and hugs her niece, Hope patting her on the shoulder as she tries to walk up to Zachery… Feeling weak to each step as she is in the presence of the deceased, although she cannot see him, except for a picture beside the casket, she just cannot bear the sight. Even if she has to try to find closure, she cannot bear the sight of this. She could imagine the gunshot wounds on his body… Each bullet he received which took him closer to death. Her breaths are shaky, close to hyperventilation…

"Kate…" Ivo says to his daughter, noticing the colour had left her face

Kate bursts into tears, falling to her knees ever so gracefully as tears fall from her dark green eyes, her hands covering her eyes as she mumbles something undistinguishable to hear thought mumbling. Ivo kneeling down and wrapping his arms around his daughter, as he has no words right now to try and comfort her… She cries for a few minutes before being helped up as the memorial service is to begin and she feels faint… sick to her stomach with that same feeling from before, but she knows it is not morning sickness…

Guests attending are all within reach of tears as the funeral progresses on, said this event was one that shook the whole of Mobius to its core, especially since it was upon the worst attacks for all the damage it did, but not just to property. Zach always will be known for all his work in science, weaponry, robotics, medicine, and politics and through all the work done in the peacekeeping efforts in the last main Ferian Empire conflicts and war four years ago, an admirable list for one who died in his twenties.

Members of the Royal Army, by orders of the Defence Minister, in place of the Army General who sadly could not attend, give the instruction as if official orders that as if it rehearsed repeatedly; then again, they are soldiers… Elias comes by Kate, Sophia with her, as she walks behind them. Worried for the silence, and the silent crying they follow to the outside.

"Are you feeling okay?" Sophia asks her niece, "You are looking a little pale and almost going to faint."

"Aunty, I'm fine." Kate replies, at least trying to smile to reassure her aunt, "If my mother was only small like I was, and could win enough Olympic medals to be a queen of the French Gymnastics team, I could handle this."

* * *

Music and talking in the parlour and the corresponding lounge room, as well as all of the children of the attendees playing in the backyard. This small gathering planned, naturally. They had decided upon not a wake with all the funeral guests to attend also, since most have to be places and most, are from different kingdoms and worlds all together, but rather just a gathering of close friends and family. Attendees range from friends, even those who are friends of her though the resistance to Sonic's siblings and Causins/Latore Part on her maternal side of Kate's family. Ivo displeased that his sister in law, Margarite, had attended the funeral and now this small gathering, when she pretty much ignored him for goddess-knows how long, even when he wasn't evil. She managed to come around… well with Vandit's help and his mind control powers.

Sitting in the parlour, Kate remains distant to the fact that she is pretty much the centre of attention… even dressed so and wearing her usual tiara, given to her on her coronation-style inauguration, as Lady of Acorn. She just sits idly while eating a few party pies, due to cravings for them the past hours, few of close friends giving their condolences whenever they can get a word in, most asking how she has been the past week because she hasn't been exactly online or accepting calls now has she?

"I am so sorry for your loss, Kate." Sonia, fashion extraordinaire and otherwise Sonic's dignified older sister for which his daughter is probably named after, consoles, "Instead of making wedding dresses like I did after like Blaze, Maryann's… Even my wedding, it was funeral dresses after this one."

Lady Robotnik nods, slightly reserved since earlier, "At least you made a profit from your work as a designer. How come Michel-Pierre didn't attend?"

"He's on Angel Island with a photo shoot today." Sonia replies, moving her orchid pink quills out of her face, "He is fulltime with the magazine and I'm running the boutique and the label since Elle is at school."

"In my mind, there is no such thing as maternity leave…" Katherine says

Sonia's phone rings, "I've got to get this. See you around, Kate."

The Eggplant pink hedgehog walks off answering her phone, and from the sounds of it, it is her husband, another set of working parents she knows... Yet she will be one of them soon, although a widowed single mother. Of course, she cannot do that bad when the whole generation before her are mostly widowed since the Bridgen wars, the five years that was the Great War and the whole thing where her father was in command… Until he was overthrown, and defected after some serious time in jail and by Kate, making him make the change.

Kate comes down to the last of her party pie, _"My god by the end of this I hope I'm not going to have just baby fat to worry about…"_

"Hey, Kate…" Sonic says, "You've been sitting here by yourself, eating party pies all night except for… you know, condolences."

"I'm not exactly in the mood to be socialising with colleagues and friends…" She says, trying not to sound like she is talking with her mouth full, "And you should know what cravings are, Sonic… Sally would have had them when she was pregnant both times."

"Yeah, I know…" Sonic says, with a slight grimace, taking a seat beside her, "We're all hoping that you're going to be right, because a little guy or gal mayn't have their dad, but they sure as hell have a courageous, insanely intelligent mother to be proud of as she is the second in command of a whole kingdom."

Kate smirks and turns her head, "The comforting act is getting old… Now what are you here for?"

"Just checking up for Eli since Shadow is obviously busy… He is handling something between the kids with Alicia… Of course, she would ask a diplomat to handle it; the kids can squabble like anything else. They sound like when your dad gets the shits." Sonic says, laughing slightly, Kate cheerfully laughing also, "Hey, you're laughing for once. Good to see the old Kate back."

"Hey, Sonic, you wanna play some games with us, bro?" Tails asks, poking his head in from the other room

"Of course, bro. Let me at the Guitar Hero and let's see what happens." Sonic cheerfully replies to his best friend, Tails, before turning back to the blonde-haired human, "Well, I can't say no to a round of games… Let us hope your kid inherits that peacekeeping skill from its father, eh. Hope you will return to the resistance soon, Kate. It's awfully boring..."

"Oh please, it's never boring whenever you decide on a challenge in the simulators…" Kate rolls her eyes unimpressed

The blue hedgehog shrugs, "The Ferian Freedoms gave it to us as a sign of the friendship between Mobius and Fera; let's just say it's well-worn in."

She really does wonder how her father did not notice that he was just used as an example because of the inherited temper. Now, her father, even her aunt Sophia, have an inherited temper because of their mother, the infamous Denise "Bridgen" Robotnik, and on occasion… well, let us just say that when they lose it, it has the tendency to make people shit bricks… Her father especially whenever some cockhead fellow pollie does the wrong thing… and when you were Dr. Eggman for 14 years that is another reason to be afraid. –She will just rather leave that remark unmentioned, though he would have a fair laugh either way.

* * *

Shadow is on guard outside, watching activity in this informal wake outside on the balconies in the backyard. He leans on the railing lazily while the kids run past. Looks like Elias defused the argument with all the kids getting pissy over something. Maybe he learned how manage peace talks better from Kate, since she is the same semi-pacifist woman who got the enemy (who is also her father) to change sides and put the darkness behind him. However, what use would it be with little kids?

He then notices a plate beside him with a sandwich and a glass of champagne, "Pregnant women can't drink, Kate, so even going near the stuff is a mistake."

"I made you a sandwich, how you like it." Katherine says, "Didn't think you would be on duty, though the party isn't exactly a roof raiser when it's still a wake, even if they say it isn't."

"Thanks." The black and red hedgehog says, picking up the sandwich "And someone has to look out for you when your old man is busy…"

Shadow takes a bite of the sandwich, a reminder of Maria since she'd make it for him all the time, and Kate's almost a dead ringer pretty much now that her hair is fully blonde. He just looks at her, staring out at the sunset and it's the same pained look she has had all week… Remorse is a mistress Shadow has tangled with before, one which pains the heart most of all.

"Saw you had a craving for party pies there…" Shadow says

Kate rolls her shoulders a bit, "Yeah… Let's just hope that by the end of it it'll just be the baby weight to worry about…"

"You've only got a tiny body anyway; you're the daughter of an Olympic gymnast." He replies, taking a sip of the champagne, "This stuff just tastes like shit… Still don't know how people manage to drink it."

"And you say I should watch my language?" Kate says with a cynical look

"Well it wouldn't be ladylike to say the F-bomb in council meetings now would it." Elias says, coming onto the balcony with them and he nods, still a little peevish since their earlier encounter, 12 hours ago, "Shadow."

"Well, the down-to-earth leader agrees with me when he knows no better?" Shadow dryly remarks, eating his sandwich, "Well, that just makes it a little more interesting when I've heard you, Elias Acorn, say some goddess-awful things when neutralizing that argument when her father got the shits with…"

"Why does everyone use my father as an example now?" Kate says, standing up to make her point that she is not impressed, feeling like she is missing something here

Shadow shrugs, "Well, there is nothing more exciting than the pollies when they're having a crack at each other… …And the coverage being on the news later that evening."

"Well maybe not when you're trying to get work done." Elias scowls towards the hedgehog's amused attitude, "Do you know how much work I have been doing to… …Never mind."

"It's about Sara Reliagh isn't it?" Kate stoically asks, turning her head to face her two close friends

That perks them up as they look at her face, marked with sadness to hear that name again. Looks like the cat's out of the bag on that one. And with her mind, she can only put two and two together and know what the big picture is, it's happened before.

"I only ever expected my father to keep things from me, _in his_ _empire days_… Now my best friend does so too... What? Just because I am a widow now and she is my husband's killer does it mean that you just… have to leave me out of everything when I am your second in command and my father is the Defence Minister?!" She exclaims

Kate storms off and Elias just stands there looking like an idiot as he hopes… that the party did not hear… Shadow pushes him and that is a sign that he has to chase after her now… and she still does her storming off like she used to before she was pregnant. Now making his case better now is it.

"I knew she'd react like this…" Elias sighs, hand to his forehead, mentally kicking himself

Elias chases after her, as he has to in these situations and Shadow just sits on the railing, with a half-empty glass of champagne in hand watching on musing whether or not he'll get involved with it, then again he can afford a break when nothing bad will happen will it?

"Don't tell me… The bad timing of this whole thing and it blew up in his face again?" Megan asks

"What do you think?" Shadow replies, "He just doesn't have a way of breaking that news to _her_ delicately because it has mention of Sara. Yet, he was just compared to Eggman so… If he doesn't chase, he'll have to look for a new advisor and second in command that'll be half as good as Kate is and ever will be..."

"Well at least make sure he doesn't spill the beans on her father's surprise." The queen orders

Shadow nods, "Will do."

* * *

"Kate, listen to me." Elias begs while chasing after her on the lower corridors as she heads for the stairs, "It isn't what it looks like because I am not doing what…"

"Then what is it then? You're lying and for goddess sake you're a bad one!" Katherine snaps, still retreating

"Will you stop for a bloody minute so I can explain then?" He asks, finding it a little difficult to keep up as usual

"Oh please, you can keep up; I'm not going as fast as usual." She snaps

"I was trying to spare your feelings, Kate. Because hearing that we're almost at war with the Ferian Empire when they are responsible for your husband's death doesn't sound like it would come across as good news at all when you are in a fragile emotional state." Elias tries to explain

"That's still no reason for lying to me like my father always did when he was Eggman!" Kate screeches, turning to face him when reaching the stairs

Elias, though tired, is happy she has stopped for a moment, then again, she takes her time on stairs because she is paranoid, "Be that, your hormonal attitude and my issues with handling touchy subjects as it may, I'm really, sincerely, sorry, okay. I can't handle touchy subjects and this one was among the worst I have dealt with and since you're a Robotnik..."

Kate gives him that look that he knows all too well by now that she isn't impressed, "It makes it any different how I, your best friend, will react because I am pregnant, hormonal, has an inherited temper and is in an emotional spiral who since my husband was killed a week before now."

"Exactly!" He says, then realising what she had just done, "Goddess damn it, you did it again with the word… _thing_. I don't get why you do that every time."

She gives him a scornful, unimpressed look, "You have a habit for not finding enough words to say what you mean whenever it comes down to this."

"Well it takes a woman with a bigger I.Q than her boss to correct him, but then again shouldn't the woman with the brain find a way to forgive her friend?" Elias replies, before a sigh, "Well, if you're mad enough to hand over the tiara and the title and call it quits, I'll understand… I messed up worse than the time I messed up with dad and look what happened there. Didn't make it to see my first born, biologically-related to me because Alexis isn't mine no matter what and I know that, be born four years ago before only a month before it turned into a Reliagh family shit fest with the Calibre!"

He sits on the stairs and takes off his crown, placing it beside him. Just feeling like he needs to sit down, because he is right in the middle of a classic outburst with a very peevish Katherine-Maria Robotnik… Coupled with the past week, he expects Katherine to take off the tiara and shove it in his face, accompanied with a smack across the face. Yet, Max, his father had said, before he died, once that because of drama maybe he should have chosen a lord that time around because girls… Well maybe he could believe that now, but of course, he never had to deal with his second in command, Lady Aleena, when she was pregnant since she was trapped in France all three times.

"I should be sorry…" Katherine says, sitting down and taking her tiara off, knowing he's stressed out, "You're only looking out for me... I guess it would not help that I blew up like that again. I would never want to quit the job, and leave the person who is like a big brother to me besides best friend… It's just been a hard few days…"

"Well, my days haven't been exactly peachy now are they? If you can tell…" Elias replies, running his hand through his auburn hair, "The Calibre and the FFF have been sending reports, Clarissa and GUN is saying that they're always battle ready to retaliate. Mephiles, Knuckles… they're unmoved in his decisions and guess where we are in the middle of this shit fest."

"The decider…" She sighs, "But that still doesn't explain why you wouldn't consult me since I am your second in command and I have to contribute to the decision."

Elias sighs, "I just didn't want to make it worse, because I know the truth hurts… And I didn't want to rub salt into the wounds because you're like a little sister to me and… I've been just as worried as you've been, with this war, but about if my little sister will be the same."

Kate smiles, with tears in her eyes, "I'll be fine… You know that I'm my father's daughter, no?"

He hands her a tissue, once before she asked why the tissues are always in his jacket pocket and he just told her that he would never know when he would need them. She would think that he would maybe need them a lot this week. She gives him a hug, another surprised moment and he just hugs his "little sister" back.

"Aww, isn't that sweet… My wittle Elias is being a good boy and looking out for his friends." A soft voice says before a chuckle

They look and Alicia is standing there with a quite amused look and they just give that up and they put their crowns back on. Elias getting up in annoyance to his mother intruding again, sneaking up on him, like she had done this morning, regrettably.

"Mum, can you go five minutes without spying on me?" Elias complains

Alicia scoffs, "Now Elias, whenever I see you and Shadow in the same room I call it an omen, as you and that hedgehog never seem to get along when it comes to Kate… Well when Megan said that there was something going on I just _had _to investigate."

"Mum, we resolved it." He replies, getting up, "Do you not trust that Kate and I can put a work blunder behind us?"

"Just let it go, Eli." Kate says, "They call it motherly intuition and with anything, she is a good one for worrying about you and Sally at times and having to be the matriarch here."

"Thank you kindly, dear." The aging Queen Mother smiles, going up to Elias and tapping his cheek, "Now be a good boy and help the girl to bed, she must be exhausted after today and I'll tell Shadow that he'll have to go upstairs now."

"Yes, mum…"Elias complies, feeling a little annoyed that she is doing this thing again and he does admit, the matriarch is powerful in her own way… "You want any help up the stairs?"

"I suppose..." Kate replies, taking off her shoes and yet feeling embarrassed that she is a little paranoid of falling down the stairs among other things

She takes Elias' hand, her shoes dangling from her wrist, while the other holds her belly, and a few steps at a time they walk up the stairs. She explains the paranoia as being cautious because her baby is the last remaining thing she has of Zach, she would not want to lose him or her. Alicia was kinda right… She is tired because now she just thinks of going to bed.

* * *

They get to the third floor and to Kate's bedroom, he opens the door for her and she enters, dropping the shoes at the door, and taking off her tiara for the last time today and placing it on the dressing table. She notices the news on and it has headline of today's events, and she would think all the bloody channels in Cealia would have nothing on so she turns it off.

She then goes to her changing screen, "I'm going back to work in a few days depending on if I can get some sleep so we can finalise the decision."

"Even if you have to be in on the decision when it goes to an official vote in the board, I don't think you should be involved." Elias reasons

"Robotnik's don't know the meaning of maternity leave…" She confidently replies, "And I don't care what the army does… just as long as the threat doesn't hurt anyone else. No one needs to go through what I'm going through with grief. It's hell."

"Well yes, but…" He again tries to interject to argue her decision

"But nothing…" Kate says, emerging from behind the screen changed into her nightgown and draws the curtains, "Now, I'm going to bed… Good night."

"Well… Good night, then…" Elias replies, admitting his defeat this time and rather would leave her to her own devices then, exiting the room to have Shadow already standing there like he usually does.

"Well, looks like Lady Kate may have returned quicker than we thought and yet that aside from playing an "agony aunt" you've actually accomplished something by getting the brains back in the game. Good job… You actually did something right by yourself for once in the almost nine years you've been lord and sovereign." Shadow says

"Was that a complement, Sir Shadow?" Elias asks, with a smug look while surprised that he said something so positive toward him, "Thanks... and let's just say that you actually do a good job in watching her."

The black and red hedgehog rolls his eyes, "Don't think you have my approval… Because I still do not trust you even when we had the same goal that dark day. Because we'd be fucked if we lost both of them, Sir Zach and Lady Kate, not to mention the baby..."

"Close enough to being nice I can get." The auburn haired squirrel shrugs, taking what he can get as he just turns his back and walks down the hallway with a slightly amused look as for once… Shadow payed him a slight compliment instead of being as usual harsh, but then again… it is cruel kindness and brutal honesty.


End file.
